I have received a Rocky mountain goat shoulder mount. It is real dirty looks like soot. Anyone have a way to clean it up Thanks Bill

Find one of those big loaders at the laundry mat and run on gentle cycle ! I would call one of the taxidermist who show there mounts on the site and see what they suggest or try my way

If you want to try it, you can do it in your driveway or you can go down to the drive through car wash. Set it down on the base with the nose up. Mist the mount with warm water. Then get some clear Dawn and soap the mount down starting at the muzzle and working to the rear. Use you hands and GENTLY massage the soap into the hair. Let it set 5-10 minutes. Rinse the soap out, again from the muzzle to the base. Now you'll need a hair conditioner (you can buy cheap hair conditioner at Sally's Beauty Supply). Pour it on the mount from the muzzle to the base. Massage it into the hair the same way as the soap. Once you get it in, let it set 20 minutes. Rinse the mount thoroughly to remove all the residual soap and conditioner.

With both your hands, squeegee the water down from the muzzle to the base. BE VERY GENTLE. The hair becomes brittle with age and if you bend it, there is the possibility of breakage.


Once the excess water is removed, take an air compressor (or leaf blower works well) and blow the hair from the muzzle to the base. Then take your mount inside and with a hair dryer, and soft bristle brush, lightly lift and brush the hair (from the muzzle to the base - stuck record) back in the direction of the base. If done right, the inner guard hairs will stand up and enhance your mount .

I wonder if a detergent like Oxyclean would work well on a mount with white hair?

Ann, I'm really not sure about the pH on Oxyclean. Dawn has a pH of 7.5 to 8 which is only slightly more alkali than water (7.0). With the unknown age of that hair, I'd be very careful of anything stronger than water to clean it with.

I had my Mexicans at the ranch use some kind of glycerin soap on fresh dried, on stretchers turned hair out after drying, to clean them and blow dry them..Got prime price Lynx price by doing it. Coyotes and Bobcats..Worthwhile to get a Lynx price on a bobcat..Also left the claws on the feet..That extra work really increased my prices on hides. That was back in the day when fur was higher n a cats back, the 1960- 1970s best I recall..A Texas Bobcat was $150, a Colorado Lynx was $680, and cleaned bobcat was regarded as a young lynx and brought $490. when prepped and coyotes were $270 best I recall (averages). At that time I ranched bording the Big Bend Nat'l Park south of Marathon Texas. Oh yeah, cut out the middle men when selling fur.